French Astrology in
the 20th Centuryby Patrice Guinard-- translation James Elliot --

An outline of this text appears in an appendix to my thesis (1993).
See also my "Top 10 English and French Astrological Books of the Twentieth
Century", 15topboo.html.

Two centuries passed between Eustache Lenoble's Uranie (1697)
[see, in French, 10lenob.html] and
the first treatises of Fomalhaut (1897), Selva (1900) and Choisnard (1901),
two centuries in which French astrology, failing to be purposefully rejected
from the field of knowledge, nevertheless became occult, due in part to
its inability to align itself with the secularized model of thinking or
to conform itself to the technico-scientific canons of the Age of the Enlightenment.

The following is an analysis of the major trends that mark the birth
and expansion of French astrological thinking in the 20th century. Are
astrologers keepers of a knowledge, of a culture? Will some of them appear
in tomorrow's encyclopedias? Will ideological bias concerning astrology
decline? I answer "yes" to those questions; showing therefore the relevance
of this compilation. Due to his specific knowledge and because he is disengaged
from the intellectual research developed in other branches, the contemporary
astrologer seems to be marginalized. Alas very few bridges link astrology
to the social sciences, philosophy and epistemology. Astrologers are trailing
behind the progress of the different domains of research. I explain why
in the second part of my Manifesto [see 07athem1.html].

Not only do astrologers ignore ancient history, but also the most recent.
Popular and "cookbook" style authors do not mention their sources. Some
merely offer shortened bibliographies. Even serious astrologers are relunctant
to quote their predecessors : for example Nicola who gives the impression
- after reading his works from 1964 to 1977 - that he alone invented astrology.

Some might deplore the absence of their favorite mentor in this compilation
of French-speaking astrologers. Nevertheless, may I suggest that the number
of astrologers still being read in a few decades from now will be far less
than the number of astrologers presented in this study. I have mentioned
authors whose originality is questionable and that are only included because
of their influence. I don't think I have dismissed any worthy astrologer.
In my opinion, two or three of them might still be of interest for future
generations.

If the 60's and 70's are to be considered the golden age of French astrology,
one can only witness a void in the last two decades of the 20th century.
If French astrology has declined during this period, compared to the growing
English influence, I do not think talent or vocation are at issue; it is
mainly because of the ideological hardening of editorial policies towards
astrology. In the first part of the century Choisnard could publish his
works through Ernest Leroux, publisher of historians Bouché-Leclercq
and Cumont or through Alcan, the prestigious publisher of philosophers
and psychologists. Volguine was still published by Flammarion, Gauquelin
by Denoël, Barbault by Le Seuil and Verney by Fayard. The astrologers
of the last part of the century have to deal with minor publishers whose
series are controlled by ignorant staff. Astrology has become a product
to sell, instead of a craft to practice. This is how the ideological logic
of the Market eclipsed the efforts of research during the last twenty five
years of the century (see, in French, 09ed1tem.html).

1. FOMALHAUT (pseudonym of Abbot Charles Nicoullaud)
- born May 3, 1854 at 9 am (09:00) in Paris. Died in 1925 (source :
De Herbais de Thun, 1944)
(born March 3, 1854 and died in 1923 according to other sources)
- Freemason and author of a classic, the Manuel d'astrologie sphérique
et judiciaire (Paris, Vigot, 1897), in which the trans-neptunian Pluto
is mentioned (see, in French : 06syssol.html).

2. F. Charles BARLET (pseudonym of Albert Faucheux)
- born October 12, 1838 at 1.35 pm (13:35), in Paris. Died in 1921
(source : De Herbais de Thun, 1944)
- occultist, scholar, bibliophile, founder of the magazine La Science
Astrale (1904-1907). Wrote few documents on astrology. - his main work,
Les génies planétaires (Paris, Le Voile d'Isis, 1921),
was first published in "L'Initiation" and "La Science Astrale"
magazines.
- his pupil Abel Haatan (pseudonym of Abel Thomas) is the author of
the Traité d'astrologie judiciaire (Paris, Chamuel, 1895).

3. Henri SELVA (pseudonym of Arthur Herrmann Vlès)
- born June 8, 1861 at 11 pm (23:00) in Baden Baden. Died in July 1944 in Paris.
(sources : De Herbais de Thun, 1944 ; and P. Guinard : email received May 9, 2008)
- Jewish born author, a pioneer in rational and statistical research,
founder of the short-lived magazine Le Déterminisme Astral (1904-1905).
- published an adaptation of Morin de Villefranche, La théorie
des déterminations astrologiques (Paris, Bodin [1902]; éd.
Traditionnelles, 1976; 1981), and La domification ou construction du
thème céleste en astrologie (Paris, Vigot, 1917), which
studies several house systems.
- his main work remains the Traité théorique et pratique
d'astrologie généthliaque (Paris, Chamuel, 1900). "Astral
influences" are caused by the integration of suprasensitive forces by the
nervous system, in the form of rhythms indicated by light. Selva recommends
the calculation of the apparent positions of the planets according to the
location in which they are observed (and not their projection on the ecliptic)
and rejects fictitious factors (nodes, hypothetical planets...) such as
those which do not respond to a significant periodic cycle.
- a major influence on Nicola

4. Paul CHOISNARD (pseudonym of Paul Flambart)
- born Febuary 13, 1867 at 11 pm (23:00) in Tours. Died on Febuary
9, 1930 in his famous 63rd climateric year.
(source : Jacques de Lescaut, 1994, from Luc de Marré)
- graduate of the École Polytechnique, author of 30 books,
founder of the short-lived magazine L'influence Astrale (1913-1914);
undoubtedly the main influence of French astrology in the XXth century.
His works deal with the main branches of astrological research (technical
and statistical, historical, epistemological).
- author of Influence astrale (or Essai d'astrologie expérimentale,
Paris, Chacornac, 1901; 1913; 1926) : "For the anti-scientific astrologers,
astrology only consists of applying - with more or less skill - the
incoherent aphorisms found in ancient texts, which they claim to be tradition,
without any care for verification" (preface to the 1913 edition, p.31).
- author of Langage astral (Paris, Chacornac, 1902; 1921; 1928;
1930; and a 5th revised edition in 1940). Far more practical than the previous,
it has charts with commentaries, and more than 200 data entries. He introduces
the circular and zodiacal representation of the natal chart : "I draw a
circle with twelve equal sectors figuring, by its circumference, the Ecliptic
(or apparent orbit of the Sun) with the twelve signs of the zodiac." (p.68)
- author of La loi d'hérédité astrale (Paris,
Chacornac, 1919), which proposes the hypothesis of hereditary laws of an
astral nature and stipulates the transmission by the parents of a certain
planetary sensitivity, indicated by the angles of the natal chart, and
by a tendency of the child to be born under heavens similar to his genitors.
He influenced Michel Gauquelin who worked on his hypothesis and gave them
a new justification.

- Choisnard is the pioneer of empirical astrology, "demonstrative",
claiming to be scientific, founded on the research of "facts". Astrology
would be the sole discipline that establishes correspondences between human
faculties and exterior objects. Modern statistical astrology was born with
him (Luca Gaurico and his Tractatus astrologicus, John Goad and
his Astro-Meteorologica being his predecessors). One hundred years
later, one can consider this approach quite naive, rooted in the positivist
context of the beginning of the century, and that the "experimental evidence"
of planetary "influences" gives rise to many questions. This astrologer
can be credited with: the mistrust towards all practical applications of
his "results", his criticism of astrological predictions (be it individual
or mundane), and his feeling that one must remain cautious in the field
of counseling, and even asking the suspension of charts' interpretation.

6. Eugène CASLANT
- born December 1, 1865 at 10 pm (22:00), in Nanteuil-le-Haudouin (near
Senlis). Died in 1940.
(source : De Herbais de Thun, 1944)
- graduate of the École Polytechnique, colonel in the
military, author of perpetual ephemeris.
- in his main work, Les bases élémentaires de l'astrologie
(Paris, Éd. Traditionnelles, 1976-1978, 2 vol.), published posthumously,
Caslant claims to belong to a "scientific", but not statistical astrology.
This turgid work remains hard to read.

8. Karl Ernst KRAFFT
- born May 10, 1900 at 12.45 pm (12:45), in Bâle. Died in 1945.
(source : De Herbais de Thun, 1944)
- international lecturer, author of a number of articles and books
in French and German. Maintains the idea of an influence of cosmic radiations
on the endocrine glands.
- author of Influences solaires et lunaires sur la naissance humaine
(Paris, Maloine, 1928).
- in his celebrated Traité d'astro-biologie (Paris, Legrand
& Lausanne, Porchet, 1939) he generalizes - with numerous samples -
the statistical work of Choisnard on social activity and heredity.
- founder of "typocosmie" (typocosmy), adopted by his senior, Swiss
psychologist Adolphe Ferrière (1879-1960), which is a reflection
on the astral archetypes whose combinations characterize the phenomena
of the visible world. He repudiates the statistical approach - of which
he was a leader - by showing its limits and shortcomings, and comes back
to a reflection on symbols.
- his Correspondance (ms University of London, Ann Arbor), offers
interesting insights on his life and thoughts: for example his disastrous
speculations on the stock market ("I only have contempt for the New York
stock market; their recent collapse cost me all the earnings I had made
this fall, and more money on top of that!", letter from December 28, 1931)
and his belief (September 1939) that the Jews wanted WW2. Krafft died in
the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945.

10. Dom NÉROMAN (pseudonym of Pierre Rougié)
- born June 18, 1884 at night, in Gramat (Lot department). Died in
1953 (source : Patrice Guinard, from civil record).
(according to himself, born at 11pm [23:00]).
- mining engineer, founder of the Collège Astrologique de
France (C.A.F.) in 1933, editor of Sous le Ciel magazine (1936-1940);
major influence in French astrology after the death of Choisnard, vindictive
and sharp critic, a captivating personality whatever may think De Herbais
de Thun.
- author of 20 books [some on philosophy] : Grandeur et pitié
de l'astrologie (Paris, Sorlot, 1940) [cf. in French, 09placm.html],
and Traité d'astrologie rationnelle (Paris, Sous le Ciel,
1943), in which the term "astral impression" can be found (p.387).

- Néroman's astrology, speculative, extremely complex in its
details (hence unworkable), multiplies structures, creates new concepts,
develops new techniques (the "Domigraphe"), and systematizes the problematics,
while trying to find the internal coherence of the astrological corpus.
The Rulerships (Rulers and Exaltations) that are the cornerstone of the
theory, are established according to the 12 zodiacal signs' equation with
the "12 planetary factors" (including Earth and asteroids). Néroman
wants to make a clean sweep of the past and "tradition" and suggests that
one should not satisfy oneself with vain words in considering "scientific"
astrology. He is the first French astrologer to understand the importance
of restructuring the astrological corpus, which would then become independent
from a "tradition" to which one would not adhere blindly, and of the said
scientific methods (essentially statistical) which deprive him of the essential
- its systematic coherence. Nicola will follow the same trend, with different tools.

12. Léon LASSON
- born September 17, 1901 at 2.51 pm (14:51), in Saint-Bucil (near
Grenoble), France. Died in 1989.
(source : Jacques de Lescaut, 1994, from Patrice Louaisel, in Astrolabe,
No. 16)
- author of Astrologie mondiale: Quinze ans de paix sur l'Europe
(Bruxelles, Demain, 1938). This book written to restore the somewhat tarnished
reputation of predictions in mundane astrology turned out to be a fiasco
(see also Gabriel Trarieux d'Egmont's Que sera 1939? (Paris, Flammarion,
1938) and see 07athem2.html, note 31).
- his best work, Ceux qui nous guident (Paris, René Debresse,
1946), influenced the research of Michel Gauquelin. Lasson's statistical
research, applied to the daily cycle of the planets as opposed to the annual
cycle used by Choisnard and Krafft, determines the "Gauquelin curves" and
shows the presence, more often than on average, of a specific planet on
the angles of the chart according to the native's activity : Mars for military,
Saturn for scientists, but also Venus for artists or Neptune for mystics.

13. Alexandre VOLGUINE
- born March 3, 1903 (Grégorian style) at 5.45 am (05:45) in
Novaja Praga (near Kirovograd, Ukrain). Died in 1976.
(source : Jacques de Lescaut in 600 personnalités des Poissons,
Brussels, 1982).
- scholar, historian, instigator in the translation of ancient documents,
founder of the Cahiers Astrologiques (Nice) in 1938, considered
the best French astrology magazine, published until 1983.
- brought back into favour the "ruler of nativity" and developed the
"planetary frames" technique (close to the midpoints of the German Witte)
- author of Astrologie Lunaire (Nice, Cahiers Astrologiques,
1936; Paris, Dervy, 1972), and of L'ésotérisme de l'astrologie
(Paris, Dangles, 1953). Opposed to statistical research, too cramped and
simplified, he denounced the compromises made by an astrology that went
astray influenced "by a materialistic modern mentality" (p.18), and adheres
to a metaphysical conception - trans-historic and trans-cultural - of astrology,
that would incorporate Indian, Chinese, and Mexican contributions.
- his best work remains L'astrologie chez les Mayas et les Aztèques
(Nice, Cahiers Astrologiques, 1946), cited by Lester Ness in the annotated
bibliography of his work, Written in the stars: Ancient zodiac mosaics
(Warren Center (Pennsylvania), Shangri-La Publications, 1999, p.220),
which follows his doctoral thesis in 1990.
- Volguine's astrology is quite dated, and his planetary values grid,
that is still in use, offers some fanciful rulerships.

14. Jean VERDIER
- born August 6, 1886 at 5.27am (05:27) in Tourcoing (source : De Herbais
de Thun, 1944).
- engineer, author of Ce que disent les astres (Paris, Stock,
1940; Stock, 1970), a classic book inspired by the works of the German
Herbert von Klöckler.

15. Jacques REVERCHON (pseudonym : Brulard)
- born March 27, 1909 at 0.43 am (00:43) in Paris. Died in 1985? (source
: De Herbais de Thun, 1944)
(according to Jacques Halbronn, he was born at 12.30 pm)
- collaborated with Gouchon for the two last volumes of the Dictionnaire
astrologique, author of cyclic ephemeris (1938) praised by Krafft,
author of a bilingual brochure, Value of the Astrological Judgements and Forecasts (Yerres, 1971), which is a radical critique of astrological predictions (notably of André Barbault's works) and contributor to Françoise Schneider-Gauquelin's magazine in 1983.

17. Claire SANTAGOSTINI
- born May 9, 1898 at 7 am (07:00) in Paris. Died in 1986.
(source : Jacques de Lescaut (1994), from Patrice Louaisel, in Astrolabe,
No. 16)
- college director, author of a number of educational books for beginners,
Initiation à l'astrologie globale (Paris, éd. Traditionnelles,
1976), from the courses she gave in the winter of 1953-54, and Assimil
astrologique (Paris, éd. Traditionnelles, 1969; 1977).
- in her main theoretical work, L'horoscopie cartésienne
(Paris, éd. Traditionnelles, 1965), she engages in a reflection
on analogy, that should convey "a relationship and not a similarity" (p.41),
and on symbols : "We do not agree with astrologers who think symbols are
enough to establish astrology's basis, which would give it value, not only
of a universal value, but also of cause. This, in terms of thought, is
inadmissible" (p.159-160). She sets herself on "the (philosophical) pure
thought side" as opposed to the "scientific thought" of Nicola (p.58),
like the analogical and empirical research of André Barbault (p.25).

- Following the example of Dom Néroman and Descartes (!), "Santa"
recommends to make a clean sweep of the past, so as to rebuild astrology.
Astrologer-philosopher, she put forth the idea that the astrological exercice
is essentially reflexive (theoretical and practical), which implies a permanent
confrontation of the astrological discourse to reality, and criticizes
the sterility of an unrefined empiricism that would not emerge as a modelization.
Another important idea concerns the need for a constructivist approach
to the chart by its global interpretation, which necessitates the hierarchical
organization of the factors (planetary values), a subordination of the
planets between themselves (the notion of "planetary link"), and finally
a simplification of the chart, otherwise this globalization would be out
of reach of the mind's abilities. This results in a critique of standard
manuals : "All these meanings [planets in signs, planets in houses, aspects...]
have a worthy value as documentation, but only as documentation." (in Cahiers
Astrologiques, 104, 1963, p.175). These excellent ideas have had a
decisive influence on a generation of practitioners and gave birth to a
French specificity. Claire Santagostini is the first great lady of French
astrology, and the significance of the works of her eldest, Janduz, alias
Jeanne Duzéa (1874-1954), is far less important.

18. Alexander RUPERTI
- born May 23, 1913 at 10.08 pm (22:08) in Stuttgart. Died in 1998.
(source : Jacques de Lescaut (1994), from Lois Rodden's AstroData
News, No. 3, 1986)
- international lecturer, naturalized British, disciple of Dane Rudhyar,
whose teachings he spread through his network of humanistic astrology,
author of a number of articles.
- his main works are Cours sur l'astrologie psychologique de Rudhyar
(Bruxelles, 1948-49, 2 vol.), and Les cycles du devenir (Cycles
of Becoming; French translation by Marief Cavaignac, Monaco, Le Rocher, 1981).

19. André BARBAULT
- born October 1, 1921 at 5 pm (17:00) in Champignelles, France (47N47, 3E03)
(source : from himself in several books)
- author of some fifty books. With Nicola, he was a pioneer of the
"cookbook" type of delineation (Astroflash, 1967), founder of L'Astrologue
magazine (1968), he became well known and respected in the field of
mundane astrology.
- benefited from the teachings of his brother Armand, his mentor Jean
Carteret and Claire Santagostini.
- his work De la psychanalyse à l'astrologie (Paris,
Le Seuil, 1961), was meant to enhance astrology to psychology's level (p.30),
by adorning it with questionable Freudian and neo-Freudian themes (Sun-Father,
Moon-Mother, Mars-Son...), by exploring the steps of Oedipal childhood
and by interpreting character traits by "types" and "complexes" (Icarus,
Prometheus, Cain...) inherited from the philosopher Gaston Bachelard.
- in his main work Les astres et l'histoire (Paris, Pauvert,
1967), he proposes an astrological reading of recent history from the combined
cycles of slower moving planets (from Jupiter to Pluto).

- Despite his empirical approach of astrology, André Barbault
has a philosophical streak, even if he owes a lot to his collegues for
the characterological and "symbolist" delineation of astrological factors.
With the passing of years, he specialized in prediction, particularly mundane,
according to him the only way to validate astrology. Unfortunately the
planetary concentration index, which he inherited from Gouchon, shows a
minimum for 1914-18, 1942-45, but also for 1954-57 and 1981-85, years that
were forecasted as major upheavals that never happened. The combined cycles
of the slower moving planets seem to have shown at least one sizeable result:
the fall of the Soviet regime with the Saturn-Neptune conjunction of 1989.
It remains to be seen if this "experimental result" is not the tree that
hides the forest. One can remain skeptical on the issue of knowing whether
the planetary cycles can lead to a forecast of factual nature, and to question
the reasons that would make a geopolitical power associated at a time of
its history with one given cycle rather than with another. The empirical
approach does not give an inkling of an answer, even less an attempt to
formalize the model.
See Value of the Astrological Judgements and Forecasts

20. Michel GAUQUELIN
- born November 13, 1928 at 10.15pm (22:15) in Paris 14 (Died on May
20, 1991 (suicide) in his 63rd climateric year)
(source : Jacques de Lescaut, 1994).
- married to Marie Schneider from 1954 to 1985, who said : "He was
something of a medieval tyrant, not easy to live with."
- author of a number of books and articles, published in many languages
(a bibliography comprising 150 references has been published by Suitbert
Ertel in Astro-Psychological Problems, 8.2, 1992).
- his first works, Les hommes et les astres (Paris, Denoël,
1960), and Le dossier des influences cosmiques (Paris, Denoël,
1973) remain the most important (see 10athem3.html,
around note 56, and 11domi2e.html, around note 40).

- This astrologer "in spite of himself", with a significant influence
even outside of the astrological milieu, has criticized the outdated methodology
of his predecessors (Choisnard, von Klöckler, Krafft, Lasson) and
introduced the necessary astronomical and demographic corrections for reliable
psycho-statistical research. Astral influences would only comprise 4 and
later 5 planets (Mars, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus): the "Gauquelin
planets" that are the median planets" (niveau "Existence" of the R.E.T.
planetary representation system of Nicola: cf. infra), answer to
the presupposed concrete existentials (socio-professional categories, obvious
character traits) put in place by statistics to test them.

21. Jean-Pierre NICOLA
- born May 8, 1929 at 8am (08:00), Nice (source: Patrice Guinard
(r.p.: 1979) and Jacques de Lescaut, 1994)
- influenced a number of astrologers and teacher to - among others
- Yves Lenoble, Max Lejbowicz, the Belgians Yves Thieffry and Jacques Vanaise,
Françoise Hardy, Catherine Aubier, Jean-Pierre Vezien, Bernard Blanchet,
Jean-Paul Citron...
- chief editor of Carré, Astrologique (1976-1979)
and Les Cahiers Conditionalistes (since 1980) magazines.
- author of astrometric research on the solar system in 1971 and 1992 (see,
still in French, 06syssol.html), also tried to bring rationality
to the astrological corpus.
- his two main works remain La condition solaire (Paris, éd.
Traditionnelles, 1965), and Pour une astrologie moderne (Paris,
Le Seuil, 1977).
- created a number of models to improve the astrological corpus and
automatize interpretation. These models are largely discussed and analyzed
in my thesis : "The Reflexological Zodiac", based on the works of Russian
psychologist Ivan Pavlov (see, still in French, 16zodi.html), the R.E.T.
planetary grid (see 08planet.html), the S.O.R.I system
applied to the 12 classic houses (see, in English, 11domi2e.html,
note 46) and the theory of planetary Ages from their sideral revolutions
(see the oncoming part of my thesis, 7/12).

- This reinterpretation of the corpus leads less towards a valid systemic
coherence, than to an ostentatious use of the classic tools of the astrologer,
not exempt from a jargon that duplicates the one already used by the practioneer
opposite his uninitiated client. The conditionalist discourse is presented
as an untouchable revelation. Nicola does not easily admit criticism and
prefers to work in a closed circuit, instead of mingling with other astrologers.
With time, like Freud a few decades earlier, he parted from his best collaborators.
He is the eternal enemy of André Barbault criticizing his laxity
and his hostility towards him. Their never-ending sterile quarrels are
legendary in the French astrological milieu. What is pitiful is that Nicola
used the same intimidating actions and behaviour towards his first collaborators
as those he denounces in his rival. What is funny, is that their approach,
despite their differences, and with the distance that can give the knowledge
of the current practices outside French hexagon, are relatively similar:
the use of the same astrological corpus, a comparable importance given
to the planets and their cycles in relationship to other factors, a certain
mistrust towards the houses, an extreme prudence towards horary astrology...

- director of Astro-Psychological Problems magazine (1982-1995),
not well known in France, but appreciated by the English-speaking community.
- author of books on applied psychology, of Psychology of the Planets
(San Diego, ACS Publications, 1982), of the Problèmes de
l'heure résolus pour le monde entier (Paris, Trédaniel, 1987),
and, with her husband, of the famous BIRTH AND PLANETARY DATA.

- Her contribution to the works of the Gauquelins has been considerable,
notably in the research of data and the technical organization of statistical
procedures, while her husband can be credited with the initial intuitions
(which are those of his predecessors, notably Lasson), the will to get
results, and the writing of most of the works. Françoise Gauquelin
has demonstrated, through her magazine, that she was a first rate researcher.
She only believes in the results that she has found, and remains skeptical,
if not hostile, to current practices. She will probably be the other great
lady of French astrology in the XXth century.

23. Daniel VERNEY
- born April 6, 1935 at 12.30 pm (12:30) in Brest (source Patrice Guinard,
r.p.)
- graduate from the École Polytechnique, founded an astrology
school before distancing himself from the astrological circle, for reasons
that we will easily guess (see, in French, my November 2000 editorial : 09ed1tem.html).
- in his first work, Fondements et avenir de l'astrologie (Paris,
Fayard, 1974), which reference appears in the rubric "Astrologie" of a
post-sixties bible (Le catalogue des ressources, vol. 3, Paris,
Librairies Alternative & Parallèles, 1977, p.791), he attempts
to modelize astronomy according to a certain intrinsic logic of the seven
classical planets, widened to incorporate the three trans-saturnians and
asteriods, in accordance with the "absolute structure" defended by Raymond
Abellio in his 1965 work. This way the planets themselves would account
for the whole of the astrological corpus.
- his second work, L'astrologie et la science future du psychisme
(Monaco, Le Rocher, 1987), is a philosophical reflection on astrology,
based on structures (and not on energy, like the previous book) and psychism
(and not psychological or psycho-mental), psychism being the "infra-mental"
reality "without which we would be nothing" (p.277). One can only deplore
the Lacanian leaning of the author.

24. Jacques HALBRONN
- born December 1, 1947 at 11.25 am (11:25) in Paris 17 ( at 12.30
pm according to his mother)
(source : Patrice Guinard, r.p.)
- Ph.D (several theses), historian and ethnologist of the astrological
"milieu", astrology congress organizer since 1975.
- author of ten books and more than thirty articles. The Guide astrologique
(1984; Paris, Laurens, 1997) which carries on the idea put forth by
De Herbais De Thun, is an index of astrologers and their activities.
- in the bibliography of his article "Astrologie" in the Encyclopaedia
Universalis (1992), he only cites 3 books - in the twenty mentioned
- in which he has no direct connection, either as a publisher or author.
That goes to show the seriousness of the academic intelligentisia on the
subject.
- in his extensive introduction to the truncated Histoire de l'astrologie
by Serge Hutin (Paris, Artefact, 1986), he considers astrology to be
a cultural reality : the relationship between the stars and mankind being
only "A link created by man alone." (p.144). We are still waiting for the
historical analysis that would justify this cultural "Lamarckism".
- his most useful works remains La vie astrologique il y a cent
ans [from Alan Leo to F.Ch.Barlet], Paris, Grande Conjonction
& Trédaniel, 1992.

- Prefering to do research on his own, historian and untimely sociologist,
quick-tempered organizer of symposiums, quarrellsome observer of astrological
life, megalomaniac and maladjusted character, Halbronn is sort of a Socrates
in the French astrological milieu. He seeks to deliver people's consciousness
and exerts a kind of dualistic "maieutics" that is ignored by the majority
of astrologers and incomprehensible for the believer. "In the last analysis,
astrology would be too serious a thing to be entrusted to astrologers and
the counseling session a too important meeting not to be rethought about
in the second degree." (in L'astrologue face à son client (Les
ficelles du métier), Paris, Grande Conjonction, 1995, p.46).
He successively supports conflicting theses in his works: from "sensory
astrology" (1977) to "cosmotherapy" (1995), or "astrology of Tarot" (1983)
to "stellar astrology" (2000), he deepens the superficial, brightens the
ordinary. With time he has come to think of himself as the director of
a hospital for the insane. Often in relation (and by reaction) to certain
discussions that he had with me since 1983, he has developed more complex
problematics. Halbronn is a better speaker than writer. He excells in confrontation,
and recently reached (in December 2000, at the CURA-MAU symposium
in Paris) the summit of his art. While working out new "nearly-astrological"
theories, he polished up his dialectic machine and moved the boundary between
astrology and anti-astrology. It appears now that all the joint anti-astrological
argumentation (first the one by astronomers, but mainly the one coming
from the university circles, of sociological or historical orientation)
remains at a level short of the problematics that he put in place, insidious
and convoluted, nevertheless salutary and invigorating for any reflection
on astrology.

25. Other important texts

Jean MAVÉRIC (pseudonym of Petitjean), La réforme des
bases de l'astrologie traditionnelle (Paris, Alfred Leclerc, 1912)
- one of the few French works to propose an original Rulerships model.

Louis HORICKS (1900-1992) and Henriette MICHAUX, Traité pratique
d'astrologie mondiale (Nice, Les Soirées Astrologiques, 1941)
- this work (before the ones of Michel de Socoa, Dane Rudhyar, Robert
Doolaard, André Barbault, San Miguel de Pablos...) suggests the
possibilty of an analysis of the great historical mutations in relation
to the conjunction of the slower moving planets, and notably the cycles
of Pluto-Neptune and Neptune-Uranus.

Charles DE HERBAIS DE THUN (1862-1946), Encyclopédie du mouvement
astrologique de langue française au XXème siècle (Brussels,
Demain, 1944)
- a unique document on the astrological life in the beginning of the
century, prefaced by his compatriot Brahy, including an invaluable index
of astrologers (birth data, careers, activities, published works, opinions...)
- one can only regret the author's tendency for trivial anecdotal elements
instead of the contents of the works, and also his partisan and narrow
mind (notably with Néroman).
- influenced Halbronn who will become the second observer of French
astrological life.

Marcelle SENARD (1879-1971), Le Zodiaque, clef de l'ontologie, appliqué
à la psychologie (Lausanne, 1948; Paris, éd. Traditionnelles,
1967; 1984)
- this well documented work attempts to link the knowledge of occidental
and oriental myths to the psychological interpretation of the zodiacal
signs : "The common source of astral and mythic energies can be found by
exploring the psyche into its most archaic origins, which explains their
similarity" (p.XII)

Michel AUPHAN, L'astrologie confirmée par la science (Neuchâtel,
La Colombe, 1956)
- An essay of theoretical modelization of "astral influences" : a vibrating
radiance ( whose nature and interacting mode with living mater is unknown),
emitted by the Sun, would be reflected by each planet, and refracted by
forming inside each of them a system of stationary waves.

Jacques de LESCAUT (1939-1995), Encyclopédie mondiale des
astrologues (série A, volume 1), Blonay-sur-Vevey (Switzerland),
1994
- This data collection of 1,225 entries was the basis, with De Herbais
de Thun's work, for the data of astrologers presented in this study.

Didier BÉTOURNÉ & Zoé FACHAN, Traité
d'astrologie contemporaine (Paris, P.U.F., 1990)
- the natal chart holds a peculiar tale for each individual, that the
skilfulness of the astrologer-interpreter renders more or less well : "The
astrologer makes the bet that the mythology he is reading in a chart will
echo on the one that was born at that instant in time, that the native
will dare become a demiurge and revive the myth that was presented to him"
(p.286). Astrological factors are words, and the zodiac a combinatory.
Chart delineation is a dramatic art. The astrologer must try to recount
and stage the history of his patient. The interpreter's imagination does
the rest. But one can wonder and ask if it's not the authors that are recounting
stories.

Prediction oriented empirical astrology (Brahy, Lasson, André
Barbault) mainly concerned with mundane astrology, but which can be applied
to individuals. Its is essentially based on the observation of visible
phenomena and on "facts".

Psycho-symbolic astrology (Julevno, Volguine, Ruperti, Gouchon) which
which takes its reasoning from a direct grasp of the supposed symbols and
their confrontation with psychological diversity. It is essentially applied
to chart delineation and relies on analogy and the respect of a certain
tradition.

Constructivist astrology (Selva, Dom Néroman, Nicola, Verney)
which ponders the possibility and workings of the astrological phenomenon,
and tries to give an account with a new model. It dedicates itself to define
a certain logic behind the facts, to uncover the internal coherence of
astrological structures, and to reformulate the corpus.

Statistical astrology (Choisnard, le premier Krafft, Michel et Françoise
Gauquelin) seeks to validate or invalidate classic astrological postulates,
or even to find new ones. It relies on empirical psychology (character
traits) and on the notion of socio-professional categories.

Classic
corpus

Critique
of the corpus

External data

Predictive astrology

Astro-statistics

Internal data

Psycho-symbolic astrology

Constructivist astrology

The first three categories more or less cover the three main trends
(astromantic, typologic, soteriologic) analyzed by Brad Kochunas, which
does not give an account of psycho-statistical research in The Practice
of Contemporary Astrology (cf. 06kochu1.html). I
think that tomorrow's astrologer will have to draw conclusions from the respective
contributions of each of these trends.